Wall teichoic acids: physiology and applications

Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are charged glycopolymers containing phosphodiester-linked polyol units and represent one of the major components of Gram-positive cell envelope. WTAs have important physiological functions in cell division, gene transfer, surface adhesion, drug resistance and biofilm formation, and are critical virulence factors and vital determinants in mediating cell interaction with and tolerance to environmental factors. Here, we first briefly introduce WTA structure, biosynthesis and its regulation, and then summarize in detail four major physiological roles played by WTAs, i.e. WTA-mediated resistance to antimicrobials, virulence to mammalian cells, interaction with bacteriolytic enzymes and regulation of cell metabolism. We also review the applications of WTAs in these fields that are closely related to the human society, including antibacterial drug discovery targeting WTA biosynthesis, development of vaccines and antibodies regarding WTA-mediated pathogenicity, specific and sensitive detection of pathogens in food using WTAs as a surface epitope and regulation of WTA-related pathways for efficient microbial production of useful compounds. We also point out major problems remaining in these fields, and discuss some possible directions in the future exploration of WTA physiology and applications.

Genome Sequence of Oenococcus oeni UNQOe19, the First Fully Assembled Genome Sequence of a Patagonian Psychrotrophic Oenological Strain

Oenococcus oeni UNQOe19 is a native strain isolated from a Patagonian pinot noir wine undergoing spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Here, we present the 1.83-Mb genome sequence of O. oeni UNQOe19, the first fully assembled genome sequence of a psychrotrophic strain from an Argentinean wine.

Oenococcus oeni UNQOe19 is a native strain isolated from a Patagonian pinot noir wine undergoing spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Here, we present the 1.83-Mb genome sequence of O. oeni UNQOe19, the first fully assembled genome sequence of a psychrotrophic strain from an Argentinean wine.

The Copper Homeostasis Transcription Factor CopR Is Involved in H2O2 Stress in Lactobacillus plantarum CAUH2

Transcriptional factors (TFs) play important roles in the responses to oxidative, acid, and other environmental stresses in Gram-positive bacteria, but the regulatory mechanism of TFs involved in oxidative stress remains unknown in lactic acid bacteria. In the present work, homologous overexpression strains with 43 TFs were constructed in the Lactobacillus plantarum CAUH2 parent strain. The strain overexpressing CopR displayed the highest sensitivity and a 110-fold decrease in survival rate under H₂O₂ challenge. The importance of CopR in the response to H₂O₂ stress was further confirmed by a 10.8-fold increase in the survival of a copR insertion mutant. In silico analysis of the genes flanking copR revealed putative CopR-binding “cop box” sequences in the promoter region of the adjacent gene copB encoding a Cu²⁺-exporting ATPase. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis demonstrated the specific binding of CopR with copB in vitro, suggesting copB is a target gene of CopR in L. plantarum. The role of CopB involved in oxidative stress was verified by the significantly decreased survival in the copB mutant. Furthermore, a growth defect in copper-containing medium demonstrated that CopB functions as an export ATPase for copper ions. Furthermore, EMSAs revealed that CopR functions as a regulator that negatively regulates copB gene and Cu²⁺ serves as inducer of CopR to activate the expression of CopB in response to H₂O₂ stress in L. plantarum CAUH2. Our findings indicated that CopR plays an important role in enhancing oxidative resistance by regulating copB to modulate copper homeostasis.

Streptococcus salivarius MS-oral-D6 promotes gingival re-epithelialization in vitro through a secreted serine protease

Gingival re-epithelialization represents an essential phase of oral wound healing in which epithelial integrity is re-establish. We developed an automated high-throughput re-epithelialization kinetic model, using the gingival epithelial cell line Ca9–22. The model was employed to screen 39 lactic acid bacteria, predominantly including oral isolates, for their capacity to accelerate gingival re-epithelialization. This screen identified several strains of Streptococcus salivarius that stimulated re-epithelialization. Further analysis revealed that S. salivarius strain MS-oral-D6 significantly promoted re-epithelialization through a secreted proteinaceous compound and subsequent experiments identified a secreted serine protease as the most likely candidate to be involved in re-epithelialization stimulation. The identification of bacteria or their products that stimulate gingival wound repair may inspire novel strategies for the maintenance of oral health.